Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/42073
SPECIAL FOCUS More schools are switching from general management curricula to industry-specific programs to serve their constituents and differentiate their programs. A s business schools adapt their MBA curricula to meet the changing demands of students and employers, it's no surprise that some of their program emphases have changed dramatically in the past five years. To track these changes, AACSB's Knowledge Ser- vices department has compiled data about program emphases drawn from questionnaires completed for the 2005–2006 and 2009–2010 academic years. Some overall trends: An empha- sis on e-business is fast losing ground, possibly because technol- ogy has become so integral to doing business that it's no lon- ger taught as a separate subject. Schools also seem to be backing off on programs devoted to general management or functional disci- plines. Instead, they're focusing on specific industries—including subjects as broad as healthcare and as narrow as luxury manage- ment—as a way to differentiate their programs. The number of programs with a focus on social responsibility has doubled, but because that number was only five in 2006, the jump seems relatively modest. Still, it's a trend worth watching. Other subjects that more business schools are emphasizing include real estate, entrepreneurship, and the various aspects of globalization. Due to the constantly evolving nature of busi- ness, these numbers are all likely to change by the time surveys are con- ducted again in five years. Numbers of MBA Programs With Emphases In… 2005–2006 General business Functional disciplines Data and e-business Specific industries Globalization Entrepreneurship Social responsibility 1,012 469 158 92 86 48 5 2009–2010 991 458 140 102 95 53 10 % Change -2% -2% -11% +11% +10% +10% +100% These numbers indicate a growing interest among business schools to dedicate more programs to "hot" fields such as entrepreneurship and social responsibility. (Data is based on more than 400 AACSB International member institutions that reported in both years; more than 30 countries are represented.) Numbers of Industry-Specific MBA Programs In… 2005–2006 Globalization Healthcare Entertainment Real estate Leadership E-business Sustainability/ethics Agribusiness Nonprofit Luxury Aerospace 86 39 18 13 14 24 5 5 5 1 1 2009–2010 95 44 19 19 17 11 10 5 4 2 2 % Change +10% +13% +6% +46% +21% -54% +100% no change -20% +100% +100% A closer look at some of these industry-specific MBA programs shows that the ones gaining the most traction are in the booming fields of globalization and healthcare. Among these respondents, the only ones to focus on very specialized industries like luxury and aerospace were all based in Europe. (While the majority of schools responding to this set of questions were in North America, there was some representation from schools in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.) BizEd September/October 2011 53 ANDREW JUDD/MASTERFILE